UT San Antonio Hands Gauchos First Home Loss of the Season in Opening Game of the UCSB Mini Tournament

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -
The University of Texas, San Antonio softball team defeated UC Santa Barbara 4-1 Friday morning breaking the Gauchos four-game home win streak in the opener of the 2007 UCSB Mini Tournament at Campus Diamond. In other tournament action, Northern Illinois defeated Santa Clara 4-2 and then took down UT San Antonio 5-2 in back-to-back games.

With the loss to UTSA, Santa Barbara's record falls to 6-3 on the season while the Roadrunners are 4-8 overall after the loss to NIU. The Huskies, who had a perfect day, are now 4-2 while Santa Clara is still searching for its first win of the season at 0-11.

Against UTSA, Liz Walters provided the Gauchos with their only run when she homered in the bottom of the fifth. It was the senior right fielder's second hit of the season and the first UCSB homerun in 2007. Freshman Lindsey Correa took the loss after allowing four (three earned) runs on six hits with five strikeouts. Correa is now 2-1 on the season.

For the Roadrunners, Randi Cantu led the charge going 2-for-4 with one run while Krista Sitka helped out with a 1-for-3 performance with two RBI. Hurler Amanda Nikolenko (3-6) grabbed the win after allowing only one run on five hits and fanning five during seven innings of work.

Cantu got things rolling at the top of the first when she singled to third base, she was brought home later in the order when Aimee Murray singled to right field for an RBI. The score remained at 1-0 for the next three full innings before Walters homered to right center at the top of the order in the bottom of the fifth.

UTSA responded to the 1-1 tie score at the top of the next inning when Sitka doubled down the left field line to bring in two Roadrunner runners. Pinch runner Chelsey Chapman rounded out the rally when she scored an unearned run on a Gaucho error.

With one out at the bottom of the sixth, the Gauchos loaded up the bases but Nikolenko was able to climb out of the hole and ended the inning with three UCSB runners stranded. The next six batters were retired in order as UTSA took the 4-1 win.

In the second match-up of the day, Northern Illinois captured a 4-2 win over Santa Clara. Husky Ashley Clement came up big as she went 1-for-3 with a homerun RBI. Krista McPherson went 2-for-4 with two runs for the Huskies while pitcher Kate Greenough picked up the win allowing two runs on nine hits with three strikeouts in a complete seven innings of work.

The Broncos were led by Angela Kabanuck who went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI and Jackie Morales who went 3-for-4 with a double. Lauren Passafume (0-3) took the loss for Santa Clara after allowing two runs on four hits.

The final game of the day pitted the two out-of-state teams against each other: Northern Illinois and UT San Antonio. Three runs in the top of the fourth inning propelled the Huskies over the Roadrunners, 5-2 in a game that was called after six full innings due to darkness.

Randi Kreiter led NIU with a 3-for-3 performance with a homerun and four RBI. Kelly Park also lent a hand with a 2-for-3 showing at the plate with a double and two runs scored. Greenough (4-1) was once again the pitcher of record and allowed only two runs (neither earned) on four hits with three batters fanned.

For UTSA, Murray went 1-for-2 with a double and one run scored while Lindsay Perry also had a 1-for-2 showing accompanied by a run. Janeille Nickels took the loss with five runs allowed on eight hits and four strikeouts.

Action continues at the UCSB Mini Tournament tomorrow beginning at 8:00 a.m. when the Gauchos take on Northern Illinois, which will be followed by a second game against UT San Antonio. Santa Clara will meet NIU and then UTSA in the final two games of the day at Santa Barbara's Campus Diamond.